Palm Springs officials said Friday that local business owners should not board up their windows while closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic in order to allow first responders to do their jobs.
“It prevents officers on patrol from seeing inside,” a city statement reads. “Also, should a fire occur in one of these boarded-up businesses, suppression and rescue operations will be delayed as firefighters are not able to quickly identify entry points and are forced to cut through boards unnecessarily for entry.”
The Palm Springs City Council on March 17 issued a shelter-in-place order for all residents that called for limiting activities to only those essential to their daily lives, and the closure of all non-essential businesses to the public in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the weeks since, many businesses have shuttered within city limits, and according to city officials, some have opted to board their windows to deter unwelcome entry while the coronavirus plays out.
“We are taking this matter seriously,” Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes said. “This is a great opportunity for business owners to improve their security systems and makes sure their cameras are pointing in the appropriate directions so we can see what is going on inside.”